Monday, July 28, 2014

It has been a lot of late nights, mistakes, bad weather and then such excitement! I laid out all the pieces today and it all just seems to fit, perfectly together. I went into this knowing only theme, silhouettes. I had no idea where it would take, how it would all go and it I would just go crazy from it all. While, I might have gone slightly crazy, (major lack of sleep), seeing it all tonight, it is just such an accomplishment.

There is still more to do, hanging these panels is a project in itself. These posts will be less, but I have enjoyed this process of creating and sharing, there is still much to talk about, the opening, the hanging weekend, the blank spaces when a piece sells!

In the next week or so, I will post the images, (using a better camera, lighting, etc than my iPhone) and share them. I look back and quite like the blurred, fuzzy pictures that my iPhone took making the pieces seem more of a sneak peek. Thank you all for the support of these last fifty days!!

Saturday, July 26, 2014

I woke up this morning and greeted the sun, in search of this windmill. It was well worth it. I forgot the feeling of exploring, this morning was just that, I knew what I was going to shoot, but I also realized there was so much more to photograph as well. This journey has definitely been just that. Realization.

It is just about over, I spent the day mostly finishing up last minute details. I still have a few pieces to begin, but that is what tomorrow is for. I have my 50th piece all planned but I am saving that one for Monday.

With this short post, I say good night, I am planning on greeting the sun again tomorrow.

Friday, July 25, 2014

This is how I ended my day, outside in the beautiful sunshine (iPhone captured). Yes! Sunshine has come to Pacifica, it does happen more so than often one thinks. I am just about finished with my 16 pictures needed for this series of silhouettes. I have a few more planned locations to go to this weekend.

I even completely finished two more paintings, they are dry and in their envelopes. I seem to work a lot better when I have the deadline approaching. Just amazes me how I can seem to be all planned and then I am still trying to wrap things up in the final hours.

I have seen the other artists pieces, we have a group page where we can all share and it is going to be one amazing show! It opens the 22nd of August. I am wishing it to be the setup weekend so I can have a sneak peek at all the collections. If you have never been to a 50/50 exhibit, it is one to make time for. It inspires!

So here's to an amazing weekend! The sun is shining and the weather is sweet, so it is time to move your dancing feet, or in my case, fingers! Paining, photographing and creating collages are all calling my name!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

These two are just about finished, one or more little details. I recently found at the art store some fine line paintbrushes, I have some already, but these were just wonderful.

The summer has come again to Pacifica, a little heatwave is in store for us over the next few days. I hope this means fog-less days. I am looking forward to finishing up the last few silhouette photos I do have and then it will be time to title and get the final layout completed. Here's to getting through Friday and a nice creative weekend!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

If it wasn't one thing it was something else today. I managed to just play with ideas. Even though, I planned many things, I did none of them, but I do have a list and I do have the course of action that I need to take. I can see things in my head clearly, so it is just a matter of giving myself the time needed and not getting overwhelmed.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Today was fun, I ventured out to Moss Beach and believe I got some beautiful silhouettes.

I also laid out my panels. I am not a 100% sure that this will be the final and there are many holes to fill, all work in progresses. I am happy. Looking at all these pieces really makes me proud that I never got too frustrated with myself and I managed to stay true to my theme without stretching my ideas. Once I have the entire collection finished I will post them in order and they will all be for sale! One of the hardest tasks is still waiting to be started, giving all the panels titles. It difficult but fun all the same.

Here is where I stood as the sun went down this evening. It is not a silhouette, but it was a beautiful sky.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

I could paint trees like this all day. Trees with no leaves on their branches as they reach towards the sky. I do believe this collect of silhouettes will have a few of them.

I really am loving how the palm trees turned out. Especially love the back ground on of it. This one just all came together quickly. It is a nice feeling when all that happens.

The weekend is over. I wish there was still one more day. I plan tomorrow to start laying out the panels to see how they will fit together. I need to see where they all need to be and see what needs to be added to the mix. There is always something that can be added to the mix.

AND then I went out to celebrate a friend's birthday, something I really needed now that I am home. It took the pressure off of the day and the food was delicious!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

I am beginning to see thing in silhouettes, everywhere I go, its quite fun. I just wish sometimes all that I saw would actually be.

I had intended on being out all morning with my camera, the fog had other plans. I did manage to take some pictures that I think will become the last of my paintings or collages, but we shall see. I say that a lot, we shall see, but it's true. Each day I have my plan, each day it gets changed, and whether or not it is for the best, it happens. I got home and went straight back to the art table. I made a new raven for a collage, the other was just too small.

I made a new collage background for an angel, the other ones I had just didn't fit right for her.

I also finished three more paintings, they just needed those finishing touches. It was so nice to see the rich black silhouette really pop on the panel.

And I began to paint the panels for my photographs. So all in all it was a productive day. And as you can tell by this final picture, things are a little blurred. Well, sometimes by then end of the day, it is the clearest you can see.

Tomorrow, I have a few ideas of what I would like to do mixed with some socializing! SO that always makes for a fun day!!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Today I drove up to San Francisco got to the end of the Great Highway and turned back around. I was watching the clouds, well fog, roll in and out, I was convinced it was clearing up. At least it did look that way from Pacifica, so needless to say, I took a nice drive.

I had a Plan B, I always knew I would spend sometime at my art table. I managed to finish two more panels and begin two new ones. It was a nice feeling. I have said it before but I am feeling that the pressure is on. I have spent so much time you still want to give the attention you gave at the beginning of this journey.

These two panels are just helping me get just a bit of the pressure off.

There are some little finishing touches needed, but these will be finished by the end of the weekend!! Two more full weekends left!!

Thursday, July 17, 2014

This is how I spent my evening, redoing a piece that I just was not happy about which was one of my first ones I had finished. I still have some branches to grow but this piece I am much more happier with than the first one. The nice thing is most of the times, when things like this happen, (which is quite often) the newer piece is much more what I had in mind.

Things are coming to an end so quickly, it amazing how time can vanish. I am a little behind, but that is kind of the way I do things, I am always a step behind and catch up just when needed to.

The weekend is upon us! I am excited to get out and go exploring for silhouettes and I am just as equally excited to spend that time at my art table for many pieces are just about finished. I even think I have come up with my 50th piece idea! As things usually go for me, I was sitting at the stop light on my way into work and this idea just formed in my head! We shall see where that goes too.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Tonight was all about small steps. I had an artist gathering this evening so I needed to plan out what I needed to do to make the most of my time. I finished completely two more panels, they only needed some touching up. Then I painted some edges black for new pieces and then I went through my photographs from yesterday and managed to choose these below.

I found three I am really happy with and printed properly, not with a printer running low on ink, will look amazing mounted on the panels.

All in all it was a good productive day. It's nice when you weren't expecting that!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

First and foremost always listen to that little voice inside your head. When you do wonderful thing happen and such happened for me tonight. My plan all along was to go photograph, I was able to capture a silhouette of my birch tree this morning, so I was all ready for tonight. Tonight, however was not ready for me. I drove to places that I feel myself at and nothing, there was nothing that I wanted to photograph. I decided I would go home and see what the mountains around my home might give. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this tree, three trees group as one against this amazing sky. I drive by this spot all the time, but this time it was like the trees called my name.

So once this happened I thought I would give other places a second chance. It was a brilliant evening, the sky was outstanding and things just went nicely. It was great to have my camera in my hand and my feet in the sand. I forget sometimes that it good to just get lost in that moment; a setting sun and waves crashing. You even get to see moments like this.

Monday, July 14, 2014

It seems each day I plan to go out with camera in hand, this happens. Perhaps, I needed this pause and once again the chance to regroup. I was able to really to look at each piece and see what was needed, if anything, and finish some. I have a good plan of what to do this week to get those 18 competed.

The end is so close, it's just within reach. It is hard to explain the stress, the excitement, and the unanswered questions you give yourself, but I know it is all worth it. At the end, I will hang 50 pieces of art, each one representing me in one form or another. When that fifth piece is placed on the wall, I will look back through these blogs and this process and just smile at my accomplishment.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

I woke up and just went to work. It was a good day. I am still not exactly comfortable with where I am at, but I began three silhouettes paintings and those three need only one more layer of black. I collaged to more panels, one just because I had some glue to use and left over strips. I even finished painting that I wasn't sure was ready to be finished, today it felt like it was.

I feel a little sad that my collage backgrounds are finished, I really enjoyed finding the patterns. It was a completely new process for me and one that I look forward to working more with in the future.

These paintings are just about finished. I became so serious about the background I lost sight of the silhouette, today I painted my guitar player and realized that. I went on to paint to more two more figure silhouettes.

I have a good feeling about this week. I plan on having enough finished that I am able to start grouping them in their proper order. We shall see how that all goes.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Started this day with a seven mile run and absolutely no plan except I was going to work all day in my art room. Once I got my day started, it was a slow start, I began cutting strips. I began gluing strips. I made the following panel backgrounds.

Then this one appeared.

Then I got a text from a friend about backsplashes and it inspired this.

When I got a phone call from my sister to watch with my niece for a little bit, I was at the perfect stopping point. I figured I would bring my cutting supplies and make more strips for the final few panels, I left to go to her house got there and no cutting supplies, just my paper, so I played games on my iphone and watched Harry Potter, perhaps the universe knew I needed a break. When I got back home and after one little ice cream break, I created this.

I have one more panel left to make, the strips are all ready and then I just need to find the silhouettes that works best for each.

The 50th day is slowly coming and seeing the pieces complete or almost complete is a wonderful feeling. There is also that feeling that I have sooo much more to do, but really everything just seems to be falling into their own place. Tomorrow is another day of art, I plan on no interruptions! We shall see how that goes.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Being that it is Friday, the end to a crazy work week is over (watch out for the super moon tomorrow) and I had an art opening, I really didn't have plans to work tonight was just going to let things go as they wanted.

My piece, Life of a Wave, is currently on display in the West Gallery of Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica.

Now back to my 50/50, I was speaking to my niece today at my house, she is 6 years old and asked her if she wanted to see what I was working on. So I bring her up to my art room and pull each piece from sleeve envelope and she kindly gives me her opinion. In the end she really likes the paper ones over the paintings and thinks her favorite is the butterfly because it has pink.

We worked in the art room together for a bit. I let her use my scraps. She was in heaven. I had to promise when this was all over we would work on a big collage together.

It wasn't a wasted day. It was a peaceful day. I even managed to glue four strips down for my next collage panel.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Sometimes it's the little things that make it all come together. I have crazy Thursdays, today was nothing but. Well I would have been happy with just making my lists and looking at my finished pieces to see if anymore was needed on them. I did that and then some. I updated my lists and jotted down some new ideas, painted my Country Boy background some more and started a new collage background.

So my evening went quite well and I am very glad tomorrow is Friday and the weekend is within reach.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

These two pieces I have been working on and they needed their finishing touches on them. You can not tell very well in these pictures, but I added little bits to make the silhouette not look so flat. I think this weekend I may take some time to photograph professionally the completed ones.

This is the painting I finished, the Mori Point Tree. I love this one.

I also worked on two backgrounds, this one has a silhouette and maybe a name, Country Boy. Mr. Scott Avett on guitar. I really enjoy taking these images from the concerts I have seen and make them into art pieces.

Tomorrow, I am not sure what will happen. I need to work on these backgrounds some more. I have two more paintings that are just about done and I want to go through my photo files for more inspiration. The ones I already picked have found their place amongst these silhouettes. Everything seems to be falling in to place, sometimes I need that sense of wander, panic and frustration to bring out the best I have.